For most people the last thing you want to hear when you're on vacation is that
sheriff's deputies are in route to your house however if that deputy is Ray waters
with the pick County sheriff's office then you know driving by your house is just
part of his daily routine of keeping your property safe this is some marriages he
does on a regular basis deputy Waters is part of
a crime prevention program that keeps watch over homes that are temporarily vacant
from families who are out on vacation or out of town basically or they're going out
of town for even if it's for one night or a few nights or
a week or two they can call our agency had the sheriff's office at
a three zero forty one forty one or come by the courthouse and give us the
information about the residents want or says it's
a mutually beneficial program that gives property owners peace of mind while
they're away and also allows law enforcement to stay one step ahead of potential
crime or merge and see situations well when people call an order to come by let us
know that they are out of town for one we know where we need to spay
a little extra attention to pay for Gallen and to watch their property and their
residents and to deter crime from happening or even protect their property you know
in case of fire or or some other means of emergency services are needed if we go by
there today to residents what maybe to catch ahead of time or right as it occurs to
help save property and possibly lots As for criminals who think they can outsmart
the system with
a little reconnaissance deputies purposefully randomize these home checks
throughout the day often times with multiple visits per day all in an effort to
make would be thieves think twice before assuming the house isn't watched these
checks are conducted around the clock twenty four seven and they're not done or in
any one Sir Tom and they may be done multiple times. Within
a certain timeframe it just it varies and it's kind of left to the deputy to to
carry out that task and. And by shorter residents this safe and secure hiding out
and waiting for deputies to drive past isn't much of an option either the home
checks they perform are much more thorough than
a simple drive by the way or getting out of the car walking around the house and
physically looking at stuff and hands on check in doors and. And looking for any
potential problems deputy Waters does say however that despite their efforts the
safety of your home should not be completely left to the sheriff's office he says
it's also important to bring family and friends into the partnership but one
important thing to us we need it prefer we have
a key order someone who is locally here in town that had
a case of emergency that would call and get information from or even possibly come
out
a house to let us check the house if we need to and even though you hope you never
need the help of law enforcement while the way it's emergency situations like those
mentioned that make you glad they are there.